This thread discusses the Content article: INFUZE is For Sale

I have been following this ministry for a year and change..and have appreciated it the whole time! anything that can save it would be awesome...I will be praying

I too have been around since its humble beginnings. Infuze has challenged how I look at the world. I have taken articles to groups to discuss. It will be sadly missed if nothing can be done. I will be praying for someone whether they are an individual or a group to take up the mantle. It's just getting good....

I know this has to be a tough decision. I wish there was something I could do. Infuze gave so many writers a break, opened the eyes of so many readers to culture they wouldn't have cared about otherwise, and even helped build a community of cyber-friends. I'll never forget all the great shorts I read here, from Snyder's "Russel Fink" to Archer's "Ellie".

In case Infuze can't stick around, God bless you Robin in whatever you do from here on out. Keep writing, bud.

Robin,
What a hard decision to make. I have been a long-time visitor of this site and am saddened to see it go. I had wondered why I was no longer getting email reminders and finally went to check the site out.

As a missionary who has to raise his monthly support, I know what it is to depend on God to provide. And I also know that He is faithful to provide what YOU need for what he has called you to. So if God wants this to continue, he will move. If not, I'm sure he has other better things for you!
Tim Tillinghast
Mali, West Africa

Robin,

I too, wondered why I was not receiving weekly newsletters any more. Now I know. (You might consider sending out a an URGENT UPDATE newsletter to educate subscibers?)

INFUZE has been important... and gracious to me. Having so much of my work published here and in your annual anthologies (in print) also gave me opportunity to introduce many people and groups to your site over the last 2-3 years.

QUESTION: Why not consider taking a page from the business world? Many companies finding themselves in a similar financial condition have offerred selling their company to their employees. Have you considered a plan that would allow all willing subscribers to become "owners" of INFUZE? You may want to run this strategy by a (willing) business consultant and an attorney. (Maybe ask you membership for these services if you do not have access to them.)

Perhaps between member/owner stock purchases, a new offerring that might encourage these member/owners to also publish their own work in a seperate Publication Forum type area, advertising revenue (with a renewed effort to solicite advertisers) and your current (even expanding) list of volunteer writers/contribuitors/tech support personnel... maybe INFUZE could re-emerge with a fiscally sound structure that would better ensure not only its continued publication but perhaps new growth, as well.

Also... never overlook the possibility that one, or even a small coalition of churches/organizations might like the prospect of underwriting such an innovative presence in the arts as INFUZE? This simply takes a plan and a little organization to implement. Never underestimate the power of your membership to take such a written proposal to their own congregations and arts organizations, either.

Hey, I'm just a member. If you ask your broader membership for these kinds of innovative ideas and suggestions, who knows what options (and support) you may discover?

Just a thought.

Praying for you,
Gary Brown

Gary, the staff here at INFUZE appreciates your suggestions. Unfortunately, we have less control over the financial aspects of things that you might think.

And while your ideas are good, what many of our readers probably don't know is that our original version of INFUZE Magazine was actually a subscription-based website magazine. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, most of our readers were unwilling to pay for exclusive access to the content. (I don't recall how low the numbers were, but it was embarrassing) Eventually, we went to a toll-free set-up.

While we have more readers and much more visibility these days, I doubt we could make that work even now.